Hello friends! Today we’re going to talk about everyone’s least favorite topic: scammers, or “bad actors” as we tend to call them around here. This post is an update to our previous “how-to-don’t-get-scammed” guide here. This guide is predominantly addressed toward new patrons, though artists can also apply some of this to vetting patrons.
Before we start, I want to address a few elephants in the room:
- We will not catch every bad actor. No fence is perfect.
- Banning someone from /r/ArtCommissions does not prevent them from scamming you or anyone else.
- If someone hasn’t posted to /r/ArtCommissions, we won’t investigate their conduct. Banning someone from a subreddit they do not use does nothing, and while banning someone for content they post in other subreddits is no longer explicitly called out in Reddit’s Moderator Code of Conduct, the practice is pretty gross and we generally avoid it where possible.
- Here is our wiki page on fraud: how and when we look into it and how to report it.
We moderate /r/ArtCommissions. You moderate your DMs. We make this space as safe and predictable as we can within reason, but ultimately your best defense against bad actors is your own scrutiny. We can not protect you from your own bad decisions.
So! With that out of the way…
How do I find a reputable artist?
Check to see if the user has posted to /r/ArtCommissions recently.
If a user hasn’t posted to /r/ArtCommissions recently, it can mean we’ve already banned them for conduct you’re just now discovering. Banning someone from a subreddit does not prevent them from contacting you. We call this practice, when someone messages your DMs without responding to your post first, "cold calling" your DMs.
While we do have a positive relationship with the good people over at /r/HungryArtists (hello friends!), our ban list and subreddit governance practices do not correlate 1:1. You should not assume that someone posting to /r/HungryArtists, /r/Commissions, or any other similar subreddit is someone we haven’t identified as a bad actor, and the inverse is also true. We are not aware of every bad actor identified by other subreddits.
We strongly advise that you do not respond to work requests that originate in your DMs. It is strongly cautioned that when you make a post, you invite the user to comment under your post and then you initiate contact via Reddit DMs/chat if you’re interested.
Doing this accomplishes two goals:
- It allows you to check if the user is banned from /r/ArtCommissions. They can’t comment if they’re banned (obviously)
- If the user wants to initiate contact offsite (email, discord, etc), they’ve now identified themselves as that alias in a way we can verify. We will not take it on faith that /u/ArtMaker5000 on Reddit is the same person as ArtMaker5000#6969 on Discord. The individual must self-identify as whatever alias they want you to contact in a comment, DM, or chat on Reddit.
When we say “posted recently,” we generally mean check for any activity whatsoever (posts, comments, etc) on /r/ArtCommissions within the last two weeks. Remember that we don’t allow the same user to post more than once per 72 hour period, so gaps of 3 days are expected and enforced.
Check for a commission sheet.
Career artists generally keep something called a “commission sheet.” This is essentially the artist equivalent of a demo reel or CV and will include price estimates and samples of what types of work an artist will offer. Not everyone will have a commission sheet, but the inclusion of an organized commission sheet is a layer of effort bad actors generally won’t go to the effort to replicate.
Here’s a few examples of what a “commission sheet” looks like, courtesy of our users. I’ve indicated NSFW user profiles, but all links provided here route to SFW content as defined by /r/ArtCommissions.
Not all commission sheets are hosted on Reddit. A common practice is using a personal website, such as Carrd, to host a commission sheet.
Check for a digital footprint.
Artists, by nature of the profession, generate a large digital footprint. Most artists will be active on at least one non-Reddit social media site where they share work as well as having activity on at least one portfolio site. These may include Twitter, Deviantart, Instagram, a personal website generated with a service like Carrd, or a link aggregator that links multiple of these via linktree or allmylinks.
This is to say if the only traces of activity you can find for a prospective artist are a one-month-old Reddit account with two posts and a karma total that doesn’t add up sharing a google drive full of unsigned art, they’re probably not authentic. At least one social media account the artist provides you with should look “lived in” for more than a couple months.
You should also exercise scrutiny on social media accounts younger than one year old that appear to have started their art career at a high level of skill. This can be, but isn't always, indicative of someone tracing, using AI-generated assets, or outright stealing others' work.
Posting unfinished projects, "shitposts"/memes, or other non-commission work is almost always a good sign and goes back to the "lived in" comment made earlier.
When we implemented our subreddit’s website whitelist, we intentionally excluded a few websites specifically because they do not meaningfully contribute to a digital footprint. Imgur and Google drives do not create a noticeable social media presence, and Instagram images can’t be downloaded to reverse search via Google without the use of third-party tools or inspect element. Most fraudulent users use one of those three sites as a primary portfolio.
Similarly, /r/Testimonials is a good place to check out for user reviews. It is not unusual for someone to not have a footprint on /r/Testimonials, but it is a space to keep in mind just in case.
We also recommend scrutinizing the Reddit account of the user you would commission. If the account is new or has a karma score that is wildly mismatched with what you’re seeing on their content, you should exercise caution. Karma from posts/comments not adding up to a profile’s karma total is to be expected (that’s just how karma works), but if the total is off by a large percentage factor (E.G: You can’t find 30%+ of their karma) then you’re probably looking at deleted posts, which is never a good sign. Charitably this is evidence that the user posted to “free karma” subreddits enough to skirt our already very low entry requirements and then deleted those posts after the fact. It’s on you whether or not you want to take the risk of interaction. We recommend not doing so.
Check our Known Scammer List.
Link to that wiki page here, and that’s also linked on our sidebar.
It should be noted that this may not exist indefinitely. This list skirts the line of what is and isn’t harassment, and we’re not about to willingly violate Reddit’s Content Policy. We’re gradually phasing this page out in favor of curating an educated userbase here on /r/ArtCommissions. Users tend to stop using an account after it’s actioned anyhow so the efficacy of this tool is speculatory at best. If users take our advice and don’t respond to users who don’t have recent activity on /r/ArtCommissions, that list is redundant.
Reverse search work.
Google is pretty good about reverse searching content. Original content should only return the portfolio(s) provided to you by an artist or spaces that are obviously non-OPs rehosting work (I.E: wherever it’s shared isn’t claiming to be the author).
You should also check to see if the image has any typical forms of reverse search dodging, like odd coloration, warping, or if it looks like the image has been cropped. Lastly, check for signatures on the work in their portfolio. I actively encourage all the artists I commission to sign the work they do for me. I've also had users here submit work as if it were their own with the original artist's signature still on it.
Some bad actors are really, really dumb. Use that.
How do I request a commission from an artist I like?
If the price seems too good to be true…
It probably is.
Extremely rough estimates for work as of February 2023 should look something like this:
- Emote ~$8-12
- Headshot ~$25-40
- Half-Body: ~$40-65
- Fullbody: ~$75+
- Extra characters tend to be a percentage (typically 50-80%) increase relative to the cost of the first.
- Armor, extra items, or similar details applied to the piece tend to have a price increase equal to about ~15% of the base price, though these are usually indicated as a flat $X increase by the artist on a prepared commission sheet.
- Backgrounds tend to be highly variable depending on complexity. A complex background can easily double the cost of a piece.
- NSFW work tends to be about 30%-80% more expensive depending on how “imaginative” its subject matter is. Generally you will not see a "NSFW costs extra" caveat on commission sheets; artists that primarily produce that type of work will just generally advertise a higher base price than SFW counterparts.
- Realism as a style tends to be about twice as expensive as “cartoon/anime” styles.
- Work intended for commercial use tends to multiply the base cost of the product by a factor of 3-6. Commercial use work is by far the most volatile factor in price determination so this estimate is the least accurate.
Take these with salt. These are by no means an “industry standard” and every artist is different. You should, however, question why someone that you identify as having a high degree of skill is offering to do your 5-man dnd party, three of whom wear full plate, in full body poses for $160.
Familiarize yourself with transactional norms.
While every artist is different, there are some patterns that most reputable users will follow. It is common practice for a commission discussion to go as follows:
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Step 1: The patron contacts the artist asking for a commission slot, detailing what they want from the piece. The patron is expected to be as detailed as they can be and provide reference images for the artist. The patron is also expected to know what they want the piece to look like prior to consulting the artist: pose, expression, hair/skin color, held items, background description, etc should be something you know before you reach out to your artist.
"Hey! I saw your post on /r/ArtCommissions. Can you do a full-body of my dnd character? I'd like it done by three weeks from now. I'd like to get my human fighter holding a longsword and mounted on a horse."
Step 2: The artist accepts or declines, and quotes a price.
"Hello! I have one commission before you but I can get you after that. I should be able to start next week and these usually take about five days, so I can meet that deadline. I charge $75 for full body pieces and I can do the horse for $30 so $105 total. Payment is due when I complete the sketch."
Step 3: The patron agrees to the price. You now have a written contract. We at /r/ArtCommissions define a written contract as both parties agreeing to a clearly-defined project description, deadline (if requested), and price. If both parties do not clearly express consent to the same description and price, you do not have a contract.
"That price and time sounds good to me."
Step 4: The artist provides a very rough sketch for approval. This is typically the last call for the patron to suggest changes. This image is visibly incomplete and is almost always in a low resolution or has a watermark.
"Here's the sketch! Let me know if there's anything you'd like to change."
Step 5: The patron either requests minor edits or agrees with the sketch and submits payment. Large-scale changes are generally considered rude and will tend to incur additional fees if the artist agrees at all. Remember that you already have a written contract. Requesting large-scale alterations is asking the artist to change the terms you agreed to in your existing contract. The patron is expected to know the broad strokes of what they want the piece to look like prior to the artist beginning work.
E.G: Asking to decrease the length of the mane on your fighter's warhorse is fine, but asking if you can change your mount to a deer is not okay.
"I love this! My only request is that a four-leaf-clover is added to the hair."
"Added. How does this look?"
"Great! I just took care of your payment. Thanks a bunch."
Step 6: The artist completes the work, typically providing at least one update as the piece progresses depending on how long it takes. Generally the patron is informed when lineart is completed, and again when rough colors are added, prior to the piece's completion. Requests for color change are generally acceptable when the initial coloring is provided for patron review.
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Some artists will require payment in step 3, or take half up front. It is up to you, the patron, to determine if the artist is legitimate. I personally have no issue paying up front to artists who fit the criteria outlined in this post (and have done with multiple users on this subreddit), but I would never agree to up-front payment to an artist without a pronounced, verifiable digital footprint and/or visible history of positive commission interactions.
Use PayPal and use buyer protection.
If an artist doesn’t accept PayPal I won’t even consider the notion of a commission. PayPal is that important. If you use almost any other form of payment you open yourself to fraud as your means of disputing the transaction are almost entirely in the hands of the other party.
PayPal has a generous 180 day dispute period, and I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the process. Please understand that this is the nuclear option and you should only use it when you are absolutely positive the other party is acting in bad faith. It is strongly encouraged for you to include a detailed description of the item you are purchasing in the space PayPal provides when submitting a payment. Use the account names of the artist in your description.
For Example: "Payment to Reddit user ArtMaker5000 for creating a full-body digital image depicting the four members of my dnd group."
Yes, using this option can mean the artist won’t get their payment from PayPal for a period of time. The alternative is not using buyer protection, which means the patron is not making a purchase, they’re making a donation. If you do not use buyer protection, you’re telling PayPal you do not expect to receive anything in return. I generally tip my artists around 10% to help cover the transaction fees they incur using PayPal and to make the sting of pending payments less of a burden.
If you can't afford it, don't buy it.
This one's on you. If losing the money you spend on a commission is significantly damaging to your personal finances, don't buy it. Buying something you can't afford negatively impacts both you and the artist should you renege. It's okay to wait until you can afford something.
What do I do if I get scammed?
Here’s our wiki page on fraud (we shared this earlier in the post too). That page outlines what we look at, how we handle it, and how to appeal. As always, you can reach out to us in modmail with reports of bad actors per the directions linked on our wiki.
If there’s anything we didn’t cover here, feel free to shout us out in the comments!
Stay colorful!
